<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>supporting role by keijitrash</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27328021">supporting role</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/keijitrash/pseuds/keijitrash'>keijitrash</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Fluff, Canon Compliant, M/M, Not Beta Read, Volleyball Dorks in Love, sort of a happy ending</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:47:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,188</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27328021</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/keijitrash/pseuds/keijitrash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Once Tooru’s gone, Hajime will have to seek some purpose for himself other than that man’s anchor. Tooru doesn’t need one to keep himself from sailing away, and who is he to stop him from exploring the world even if it means not being by his side?</p><p>or: how Hajime contains himself in a box called 'childhood friends' in fear that he'll lose everything he has with Tooru if he breaks out of it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Iwaizumi Hajime &amp; Oikawa Tooru, Miya Atsumu/Oikawa Tooru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Haikyuu Angst Week 2020, stories that touched me</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>supporting role</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>i.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Every waking moment, Hajime wonders if it will be the last time he’ll see his best friend.</p><p> </p><p>Their relationship, built on years and years of friendship since childhood, could shatter at any given moment and he’s <em>scared</em>. He’s scared because Tooru has always been the better one between the two of them. The one who’s irreplaceable. The one who people flock to. He’s the sun among planets circling his orbit, while he’s simply a side-character.</p><p> </p><p>Even in his own story, Tooru is the star.</p><p> </p><p>“Iwa-chan? You look constipated. Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Hajime musters a smile and forces words of assurance out of his lips. “I’m fine,” he says, “just got jitters. We’re graduating today, aren’t you nervous?”</p><p> </p><p>(Tooru never is. For big moments like this, Tooru is and always will be the coolheaded one – no matter how much people seem to perceive <em>him</em> as the calm one and the brunet as the jumpy one.)</p><p> </p><p>“Why would I be nervous about graduating?” Tooru laughs like it isn’t a big deal. For him, today is just another stepping stone to achieving his goal. Hajime wishes he could see things in that way. “I’m more scared about flying off on my own for the first time! I’ve never been out of the country without anyone else to come with.”</p><p> </p><p>Hajime rolls his eyes. “Please, you’re a big guy. You’ll be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>(He knows he won’t be – once Tooru’s gone, he’ll have to seek some purpose for himself other than that man’s anchor.)</p><p> </p><p>(After today, Tooru doesn’t need one to keep himself from sailing away, and who is he to stop him from exploring the world even if it means not being by his side?)</p><p> </p><p>“Oh yeah,” Tooru walks by his side going to the gym. “You never really told me what you wanted to do after graduation. Are you staying here?”</p><p> </p><p>Hajime falls silent, unsure of how to answer. How can he tell his best friend that he has <em>no clue</em> on how to proceed once they walk out of the gym with their diplomas in hand? How can he tell his best friend his entire life had been solely focused on being the constant that never leaves? How can he tell his best friend that he lied during counseling and is nothing but lost now that they’re about to part?</p><p> </p><p>(He doesn’t.)</p><p> </p><p>“Probably.” Hajime stuffs his hands in the pockets of his pants. “I think I’ll go to college and get in a good course, part-time then graduate and get a proper job.”</p><p> </p><p>Tooru hums. He faces Hajime with a smile he can’t read – and somewhere in the back of his mind, Hajime feels like he’s being mocked. “Iwachan is really aiming for a stable future, isn’t he?”</p><p> </p><p>“Better than your ‘I’ll go to Argentina, look for my idol and be spontaneous from thereon’ plan.” They fall back into their old rhythm where Tooru would be reckless, and Hajime would counter it by being levelheaded. He pretends like this won’t be the last time they’ll be like this.</p><p> </p><p>(If Tooru knew that these were the things swimming in his head right now, he would tell him not to be so glum. Reassure him that they’ll still be the <em>best</em> of friends even when they’re a million of miles away from each other.)</p><p> </p><p>(And that’s precisely why Hajime doesn’t say – because he doesn’t want to keep holding onto the words ‘we’ll still be friends’ only for it to fade away.)</p><p> </p><p>(Because he doesn’t want to hear another word about their inseparable friendship.)</p><p> </p><p>(God knows he wants more than that, but he’s not going to let himself be that person stopping someone he loves from doing something they want. He’s going to let Tooru leave, and he’s going to stay behind.)</p><p> </p><p>“See you after graduation Iwachan!”</p><p> </p><p>Hajime shakes his head, smiling, and gives his best friend a pat on the back. “I’ll see you if girls aren’t flocking you after graduation.” He walks away first, his surname to be called before Tooru’s, and takes a seat far away from where the brunet is.</p><p> </p><p>Then he takes a breath and focuses on the program.</p><p> </p><p>(...he’s going to stay behind.)</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>ii.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Tooru and Atsumu don’t meet during a volleyball game. They don’t even meet <em>anywhere</em> near a court. Instead, their first encounter with each other is in a studio far from both their hometowns, wearing clothes that aren’t theirs and makeup that they never thought they’d put on their face. Ushijima is also present during this shoot, and Tooru avoids him like the plague. While Atsumu, on the other hand, has never been good with communicating with people he’d just met.</p><p> </p><p>That’s how they bump into each other – one avoiding someone, and the other trying to shrink in the background.</p><p> </p><p>“Um, ‘scuse me...” Tooru notices the blond sitting on his own in the corner of the studio, and what better place to be but there when hiding from his court rival? “Do you mind if I sit with you?”</p><p> </p><p>Atsumu opens his mouth to say ‘sure’, but when nothing comes out he just slides to the side to give the brunet more space so he won’t embarrass himself. Tooru gives him an appreciative smile, takes a seat, then basks in the awkward silence between them.</p><p> </p><p>“So.”</p><p> </p><p>(Atsumu wonders if the brunet is not used to being silent – not to be insulting.)</p><p> </p><p>(Maybe a little.)</p><p> </p><p>(Then again, it <em>could </em>be nerves. Atsumu guesses that the brunet is probably a talker when he’s nervous then.)</p><p> </p><p>“Is it your first time doing this kind of thing?” Tooru is wringing his hands while asking. A part of Atsumu wants to stay quiet, while the other is his mom acting as his conscience and telling him that it’s <em>polite</em> and <em>proper etiquette</em> to reply when someone is asking. So he answers, “Yeah,” and inwardly hopes that it’s going to be the end of their little conversation.</p><p> </p><p>(It isn’t.)</p><p> </p><p>Tooru’s eyes sparkle when he replies. “You have Kansai-ben!” And the conversation just naturally flows from there. Atsumu asks him how he’d guessed that he speaks in the Kansai dialect just from a ‘yeah’ and Tooru goes on about how dialects interest him and he’s always wanted to hear someone speaking in one other than his own. This makes Atsumu laugh, and Tooru more invested in their chat.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve never been to nationals, so it’s not like I could face off opponents from other provinces.” Tooru admits, and Atsumu notices the way his jaw clenches and his eyes wander to the tall, stoic looking man who looks like he would pass as an adult than someone still in high school. “That’s why meeting you was really exciting.”</p><p> </p><p>Atsumu snickers. Then, without really meaning to, he says: “I could let you meet other people from my team. When you’re free. Or when you’re in Hyogo – but it’s pretty far from Miyagi isn’t it? Just tell me when you’re around town, I’ll show you around.”</p><p> </p><p>Tooru thanks him for the offer and makes a mental note of it. Then, “If you ever feel like visiting Miyagi...” He gives Atsumu a wink, and the blond barks out a laugh. “I’m just saying! If you ever feel like dropping by in Miyagi too, I’d even offer lodging.”</p><p> </p><p>“You live alone?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nope! But my sister’s rarely home and her room isn’t an eyesore so, even if we’re barely strangers right now, I think I’ll trust that you won’t kill me or my family in our sleep.”</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, Tooru is called to pose for a shot with the same man he’d eyed irately earlier, leaving Atsumu alone. The blond takes a minute to realize what he’d just said, what he’d just done, and let his mind simply go <em>what the <strong>fuck</strong> just happened?</em> Before settling down and dismissing it (<em>its fine, it’s probably just out of politeness anyway</em>). And by the time he’s in the same shot as the brunet, he lets Tooru be comfortable enough around him that they’re the only ones physically in contact with each other for the picture.</p><p> </p><p>(They exchange numbers when the shoot ends. Tooru <em>insists</em> on taking a photo with him, and Atsumu – who doesn’t really frequent his social media enough to feel obliged to post their picture – simply sends it to the chat he has with his school’s volleyball team.)</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll come visit you soon, Tsumu-chan!”</p><p> </p><p>Atsumu half-smiles, half smirks. “Don’t make any promises, Tooru-<em>chan</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>iii.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Hajime wasn’t blind. He’d noticed the way Tooru would constantly be on his phone on some days after that shoot, smiling like an idiot. There are even other times when he would pop on earphones, tell him that he’s just listening to some music, then burst into laughter every now and then.</p><p> </p><p>Hajime doesn’t really ask him about it.</p><p> </p><p>All he knows is that Tooru met someone from Hyogo and is now in constant communication with them. He’d seen the post on the guy’s Instagram – liked the photo, even – and couldn’t bring himself to care much about it until he feels some distance between him and his best friend.</p><p> </p><p>(There was nothing he could do to stop it.)</p><p> </p><p>(They’re friends, not lovers. Friends don’t tell friends to stop hanging out with someone out of jealousy. No. They don’t, right? And it’s not like the Hyogo guy was doing anything bad to Tooru.)</p><p> </p><p>(In fact, he’d never seen the setter happier.)</p><p> </p><p>“What was his name again?” Hajime asks when Tooru tells him how he’s glad that the blond greeted him a happy graduation.</p><p> </p><p>Tooru, with the biggest grin he’d ever seen, replies: “Tsumu-chan!” and Hajime forces himself to <em>act normal</em>, go ‘ahh’, and let a slightly uncomfortable silence take hold of them. But Tooru doesn’t even notice the fact that there’s an awkwardness growing between them.</p><p> </p><p>He’s too busy on his phone to realize this.</p><p> </p><p>(Meanwhile Hajime’s mind is racing. Thinking. <em>Over</em>thinking. Wondering what step he’d missed to stay as <em>Iwa-chan</em> when Atsumu is <em>Tsumu-chan</em> to his <strong><em>best friend</em></strong>. He could <em>never</em> even bring himself to say Tooru’s first name unless it’s in his head.)</p><p> </p><p>(Too used to calling him Oikawa, Shittykawa, Dummykawa; and if that stops, then that means that something’s changed between them. But it hasn’t, and he’s still Iwa-chan to Tooru, while the brunet is whatever halfheartedly insulting adjective-plus-kawa to him.)</p><p> </p><p>“Tooru.”</p><p> </p><p>When he says his friend’s first name out loud, Tooru turns with this look of surprise that automatically makes him take it back. “That surprised me!” the brunet laughs, “It was a little scary, honestly! God Iwa-chan, don’t do that again!”</p><p> </p><p>Hajime’s heart clenches. He forces a grin, “Did that really scare you?”</p><p> </p><p>Tooru huffs and jokes about ignoring him for the rest of the night for making his heart almost burst out of his chest after being addressed by his first name.</p><p> </p><p>(But how can it be a joke when Tooru actually <em>does</em>?)</p><p> </p><p>Well it’s not the first time, Hajime tells himself. Tooru will chat him again tomorrow like usual, act like nothing happened, and Hajime will play along. He’ll convince himself that it’s fine to be like this towards his best friend; liking him from afar, too scared to make a move. Too afraid to admit his feelings. Too...cowardly to be anything more than a best friend.</p><p> </p><p>(Hajime tells himself that as long as he’s still <em>something</em> with Tooru at the end of the day, then that’s fine.)</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>iv.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Tooru tells him that he’s on his way to Hyogo three days after their graduation – three days after barely talking with each other.</p><p> </p><p>And he can only reply with ‘take care, idiot’ before turning off his phone and being his most unproductive self for the rest of the day.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>v.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t break my promise!” Tooru beams at Atsumu when he arrives. The blond graciously picks him up at the station, asks him if he booked a hotel or if he plans on staying over - because there’s no problem for him to share his room with someone else. Tooru gives him a sheepish grin and says that he was<em> planning on begging Tsumu-chan to let me stay over </em>but he was invited in before he can anyway.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you really prioritize going here over, I dunno,” Atsumu tries to recall some of their older conversations where Tooru talked about what he wants to do in the future before continuing, “renewing your passport? Getting a Visa? A ticket to Argentina?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course I did!” Tooru puffs his chest out like it’s something to brag about, and Atsumu can’t hold back the laugh bubbling in his chest.</p><p> </p><p>“You’d make a good boyfriend if you ever got into a relationship.”</p><p> </p><p>(It was supposed to be an offhanded comment with no real meaning. It was <em>supposed</em> to be, but Atsumu sucks in a breath, waiting for Tooru to tell him that he’s in a relationship.)</p><p> </p><p>“Believe me I’m <em>not</em> a good boyfriend.” Tooru snorts. “My first and last girlfriend told me that I was too focused on volleyball and complained how I never made time for her – stuff like that. I can’t really defend myself since its true – <em>but</em>! That was when-<em>nevermind</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“???” Atsumu tilts his head to the side. “But?”</p><p> </p><p>“I was about to say that it’s only because I was pretty young then, but I realized that I was in third year when I got into that relationship.”</p><p> </p><p>Atsumu laughs. “We’ll maybe you’d make a good one now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Tsumu-chan, if your definition of a good boyfriend is someone who would fly off to Argentina to pursue his dream of meeting a childhood idol and continue playing volleyball for as long as he can, then you <em>maybe</em> have a problem because none of that sounds good.”</p><p> </p><p>(Atsumu doesn’t even know why he’s defending himself on this one.)</p><p> </p><p>“Oi! Yes it does – if I had a boyfriend who would fly off to Argentina to pursue his dream of meeting his childhood idol and continue playing volleyball for as long as he can then I would <em>support</em> it. I’m sure said boyfriend would spare some time for his significant other anyway, or maybe the significant other won’t mind since they’d be a volleyball nerd too.”</p><p> </p><p>Tooru looks at him. He blinks, making Atsumu nervous for every second that passes, then bursts into laugher. “Tsumu-chan <em>please</em>! You’re the only person I know who’d date <em>me</em>, of all people.”</p><p> </p><p>Atsumu rolls his eyes. “You make it sound like a bad thing that I do.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Tooru parts his mouth two or three times before dropping the subject. Atsumu doesn’t fail to notice the way the tips of his ears and the back of his neck flush before being pulled away and asked to sightsee.</p><p> </p><p>“Tooru-<em>chan</em>, almost midnight and you want to <em>sightee</em>?”</p><p> </p><p>The brunet gestures wildly before giving up and going: “You know what! Let’s just go home! Yes!” then quickly adding, “<em>Oh</em> let’s stop by a food shop or something so I have something to give when we get there.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay.”</p><p> </p><p>(Atsumu doesn’t comment at how the man just called <em>his</em> home his own, in a way.)</p><p> </p><p>(Just keeps it to himself and locks it somewhere along with the rest of the memories he’ll treasure.)</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>vi.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Osamu playfully calls Tooru by ‘Oikaa-tan’ and teases his brother incessantly about never bringing anyone over but made an exception for his <em>Miyagi boyfriend</em>. Atsumu’s mom and dad, on the other hand, just laugh it off and treat Tooru with hospitality and kindness. They both have to recount how they first met, and Atsumu omits details about Tooru having a <em>thing</em> for dialects.</p><p> </p><p>“Miyagi boyfriend?”</p><p> </p><p>When they’re finally out of the house, this is the first thing Tooru decides to mention. Atsumu really wished he didn’t.</p><p> </p><p>He pinches the bridge of his nose then uses the same hand to run his fingers through his hair. “Just-Samu calls you that because I’m always...chatting with you. Stuff like that.”</p><p> </p><p>“I never thought your brother would think we’re together just because we chat a lot.” Tooru laughs. “Do you not chat a lot of people?”</p><p> </p><p>“No.”</p><p> </p><p>Then—</p><p> </p><p>“Aran-kun and the others would even tell me that I’m more of a ghoster than Samu and Suna.” Tooru raises his brows. “Look-I. Chatting with people tires me out, that’s why I tend to give others one word replies if we aren’t talking about anything important.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eh? But Tsumu-chan you reply with a <em>lot</em> of messages sometimes.”</p><p> </p><p>Atsumu fights the urge to just flail his arms – he might hit Tooru in the process. “That’s why you’re an exception and Samu teases more for it!”</p><p> </p><p>(There it is again – that flush of Tooru’s ears and neck. Atsumu wants to ask if he’s just embarrassed or if he could assume things from the way he reacts.)</p><p> </p><p>“O-Oh, then!” Tooru grins, his smile crinkling his eyes and reaching his ears. “I’m <em>that</em> special, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you doing this on purpose?”</p><p> </p><p>“No!”</p><p> </p><p>“...I know you’re a year older than me but <em>fuck you</em> Tooru.”</p><p> </p><p>(Oh god he dropped the honorific, oh no—)</p><p> </p><p>Tooru chortles, flashes him a finger heart, then says: “Aw, sorry Tsumu-chan! It’s okay, I know you still love me!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>(Atsumu wants to smack the older man, grab him by the shoulders, then tell him not to use the world <em>love</em> so casually because he <em>will</em> burst into flames and prove that human combustion isn’t a myth.)</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever – let’s just get going. I think I can show you around school today since they have summer classes, are you up for that?”</p><p> </p><p>Tooru goes along without complains.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>vii.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Every waking moment, Hajime wonders if it will be the last time he’ll have a best friend.</p><p> </p><p>Tooru’s gone off to Argentina, turning his dream into a reality and building another one that he’ll soon fulfill, while he decided to fly to California and study in university.</p><p> </p><p>They still talk - every day, Hajime thanks whichever gods are responsible for letting them stay in touch – but it’s not the same as it used to be. Still, Hajime’s not about to make a fuss about that; just knowing that he and Tooru are still friends is enough for him. He tells himself that it should be.</p><p> </p><p>(Lying to himself has become pretty easy now.)</p><p> </p><p>Their relationship, built on years and years of friendship since childhood, seems to have finally reached its end in a sense. This was how far they could ever come – best friends. Though he’s not even sure if ‘best’ could still be added; they haven’t been that close for a while now.</p><p> </p><p>Hajime doesn’t like the word ‘replaced’, but it seems like the most fitting one to use.</p><p> </p><p>He has, in pretty much all counts, been replaced. By the boy from Hyogo who Tooru always had time for, who he’d talked to more than him; who managed to be more than just a friend instead of being contained in that label.</p><p> </p><p>Hajime wishes he could be brave and bold and fearless like him.</p><p> </p><p>Instead, just as it has always been, he remains the side character in his own life, while Tooru remains its star – but unlike before, he’s now farther out of reach.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I truly hope you enjoyed this oneshot of mine! Comments and reviews are always appreciated and treasured - just knowing you liked it is enough!</p><p>For more content, feel free to check out my <a href="https://twitter.com/wyannyin">twitter</a> where I normally camp in! Thank you for reading ❤</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>